EAS security system tags are used by retail stores to prevent theft. An EAS security system tag (referred to herein as an EAS tag) is usually affixed to an item for sale at a retail store and it is removed by a sales associate once a customer pays for the item. The EAS tags typically include a tag body and pin. The pin goes through the merchandise and locks to the tag body. A user, such as a sales associate, can use an EAS system tag detacher to unlock and remove the EAS tag from the merchandise. The EAS system tag detacher unlocks the pin from the tag body. Once the pin and the tag body are no longer locked together, a sales associate removes the pin from the tag body.
Due to many different reasons, an EAS system tag detacher may be unable to successfully detach the pin from the tag body. Nevertheless, the sales associate may assume that the EAS system tag detacher successfully detached the pin from the tag body, and may proceed to pull the pin. This may damage the EAS tag and may cause the sales associate to become frustrated as the sales associate is unable to determine whether or not the EAS system tag detacher unlocked the pin from the tag body.
Some EAS system tag detachers indicate to the user that the pin has been unlocked from the tag body by playing a sound or using blinking Light Emitting Diode (“LED”) lights. However, most retail stores play music and are, in general, loud environments, which may cause the sales associate to miss the sound played by the EAS system tag detacher. Further, a sales associate may be interacting with a customer, and may not hear the sound played by the EAS system tag detacher or see a blinking light. Also, the EAS system tag detacher may be positioned in a way that the LED lights are not easily visible by the sales associate. For instance, if the EAS system tag detacher is mounted in a cabinet, the sales associate may not be able to see the EAS system tag detacher LED lights. As such, auditory and visual feedback have limitations.